Today, Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman announced the retirement of Arundel Community Development Services (ACDS) Executive Director Kathleen Koch. The effective date will be December 31, 2021.
“Kathleen Koch’s dedication to the people of Anne Arundel County serves as a model for all of our county leadership,” County Executive Steuart Pittman said. “Her creativity in solving complex problems and her tireless work ethic embodied our goal of making Anne Arundel the best place for all.”
Ms. Koch became the founding executive director of ACDS in 1993, and her tenure saw the organization engage in revitalization efforts in communities across the county, including Bacontown, Galesville, and Brooklyn Park. During the pandemic, ACDS’s eviction protection work helped keep residents in their homes when they faced COVID-driven economic hardship.
“Working here at ACDS has been both rewarding and challenging – helping to create ACDS has been my life’s work,” ACDS Executive Director Kathleen Koch said. “I will truly miss working with our team, and doing the important work of ACDS.”
Under Ms. Koch’s leadership, ACDS created and preserved more than 3,000 affordable rental units, and built out a model property rehabilitation and homeownership program. In 2013, Ms. Koch was named the Housing Person of the Year by the Maryland Affordable Housing Coalition in recognition of her statewide effort to promote affordable housing.
For more information on ACDS and its work across Anne Arundel County, visit www.acdsinc.org.
